What is Malignant Catarrhal Fever?
Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a generally fatal disease of cattle, bison, true buffalo species, and deer. It is caused by viruses belonging to the Herpesvirus family. MCF occurs worldwide and is a serious problem, particularly for bison in the United States and Canada. MCF in bison is caused by a virus called ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2). A closely related virus called Alcelaphine herpesvirus-l (AlHV-1) is responsible for most cases of MCF in Africa.
